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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) will hold its national convention today at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja, despite a last-minute alleged attempt to block the gathering.
The opposition party moved the event to a private venue after the alleged moves by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to block the use of Eagle Square and other facilities.
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However, a few hours before the event was set to begin, the proprietor of the Rainbow Event Centre withdrew permission for the party to use the facility.
ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi, who disclosed this at midnight on Monday, said the owner faced intense pressure from the FCT authorities, which also threatened to revoke his licence if he allowed the convention to hold.
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However, the party leadership vowed to continue with the exercise at the venue, stating they will “not bow to this creeping tyranny”.
The non-elective convention is the first major assembly since a coalition of opposition politicians led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar fused into the ADC last year. Former Senate President David Mark assumed the role of national chairman of the party then.
About 3,000 delegates drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT are expected to attend the convention themed, “So the Nation May Work.”
The event is expected to affirm the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) appointed last year, adopt the party’s amended constitution and manifesto ahead of the 2027 general election.
The move to hold the convention follows months of legal battles and uncertainty regarding its leadership.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), recently announced it would no longer recognise the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC), citing an interim court order and a failure to resolve internal leadership disputes
Despite these threats, the Mark-led party protested and vowed to go ahead with its activities, including organising the congresses, which were held last week and today’s convention.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court grants accelerated hearing of appeal on ADC leadership dispute
The ADC is currently split into three distinct groups vying for control of the party structure ahead of the 2027 general elections: Apart from the Mark faction, the most prominent of all, there is the Nafiu Bala faction and the newly emerged Dumebi Kachikwu faction, each claiming to be the authentic leadership of the party.
This “third way” group rejects both Mark and Bala, accusing them of hijacking the party. They support the INEC de-recognition and are calling for a neutral interim committee to oversee party affairs.
Interestingly, the convention is holding on the day the Supreme Court heard Mr Mark’s appeal for an order to stay the execution of the appellate court ruling on which INEC acted to derecognise his leadership.
PREMIUM TIMES will bring you live updates of the convention. Also, follow us on our Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter accounts.
3:00 p.m: ADC Convention begins after hours of waiting by journalists and delegates.
The Master of Ceremony mounted the podium and welcomed delegates and attendees.
3:07 p.m.: Master of Ceremony, Dino Melaye, called ADC National Chairperson, David Mark.
Senator Mark called for a minute silence for fallen heroes who died fighting insecurity in the country.
3:15 p.m.: Mr Mark, a former senate president, said the ADC will be the platform through which Nigeria will be reached and rebuilt.
He described the emergence of the party as evidence of the resilience of opposition.
“We will not bow, cow and will not retreat,” he said.
He said the party had faced unprecedented betrayal. He said every attempt to suppress the party has only strengthen the members.
He said INEC’s decision raises questions about forces that govern Nigeria democracy.
3:27 p.m: Masters of Ceremony, Dino Melaye, said the Chinese Ambassador is present and the British High Commission represented by three-person delegation led by Tom Simpson.
Mr Melaye added that the Norwegian Ambassador is on his way to the venue.
3:57 p.m: ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, said the party cannot be stopped.
Mr Aregbesola said it will not succumb to anti-democratic forces in the country “including INEC”.
“ADC has not will not and will not be owned by anyone and was formed from the aspiration of people tired of the current government.
“We owe our existence to Nigerian constitution. We cannot allow kakistocracy in Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Aregbesola said the current administration has fail the country in all aspects.
He said an honest government would step down and not seek reelection.
He said the current government has mismanaged the naira, resulting to a 100 per cent devaluation which moved from N700 to N1,400.
Has said the price of petrol per liter has increased to N1,400 and the cost of transportation has become “prohibitively high”.
He said the number of out of school children has also increased and the country has been “railroaded” into poverty.
“This is the time of worse insecurity of the country,” he said.
3:50 p.m: Mr Aregbesola said the Ralph Nwosu-led NWC was legitimately dissolved.
He narrated how it happened.
He said at the NEC meeting July 2025, the party’s then Legal adviser moved for a motion to suspend the membership requirement to hold position in the party.
Mr Aregbesola said another NEC meeting at Chelsea Hotel on May 15 constituted a NWC. The NWC met on 2 July and passed some resolutions including the constitution of caretaker committee to manage the party and dissolution of the NWC led by Ralph Nwosu.
3:55 p.m.
On the Legal basis for the convention, Mr Aregbesola said INEC has a duty to abide by the laws of the constitution and the electoral act, which include the monitoring the convention and congress.
He said INEC has no reason not to attend.
He said the last letter to INEC notifying it of the conventions was dated 10 March and signed by Mr Aregbesola. He said INEC acknowledged the letter on 13 March.
The former Osun State governor said the decision of INEC not to monitor the conventions amounts to dereliction of duty.
4:16 p.m:
Mr Aregbesola said the party is planning a multi-party summit to unite the opposition for the 2027 election. He said the party will partner with other political parties, including the Turaki-led PDP, NPP, and PRP.
4:19 p.m.
Mr Aregbesola said Nigeria will not tolerate a ‘Kabiesi’ (supreme leader) in the Aso Rock, vowing, “No coronation.”
4:23 p.m.
The MC of the event, Mr Melaye, announced that former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufa’i, who is facing trial in court, has been granted bail and is expected at the convention. The crowd cheered at his announcement.
4:49 p.m
Senator Ireti Kingibe, speaking on behalf of ADC Senators, said she has been intimidated and harassed but will remain committed.
4:55 p.m.
Victor Ogene, leader of the ADC Caucus at the House of Representatives, assured that the caucus will lead in checkmating the executive powers.
4:55 p.m.
Former APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, mounted the podium and said he is speaking for people in the “departure lounge”. Mr Odigie-Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State, said he is pleased by the crowd, recalling that the movement started from a meeting of only three or five people.
“With the passion and determination on these faces, I truly now believe that the people of this country have decided that enough is enough. Our mumu don do. E don too much sef,” he said.
“I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
5:15 p.m:
Former National Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buba Galadima, said a corpse will emerge the winner if it contests against Bola Tinubu in 2027.
He condemned the reported threat against the owner of the venue of the convention that his Certificate of Occupancy will be revoked should he allow the ADC to use the venue for the convention.
5:25 p.m.
Sokoto South senator, Aminu Tambuwal, said the country’s democracy has been taken over by pseudo democrats.
He called on court judges not to allow themselves to be used against Nigeria, saying history is taking note of everyone’s role in the future of the country.
Pointing at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who sits beside Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rotimi Amaechi, Mr Tambuwal recalled that when the coalition started, most of the leaders sitting together in the hall couldn’t be together in a room. He appealed to them and members of the party to continue on the shared path of unity of purpose.
5:33 p.m.
A former National Chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, said the party was started with the mission that any leader emerging from it will see Nigeria through the prism of being the biggest country in Africa. He recalled that Pat Utomi was the first presidential candidate of the party. This time, he said, nothing is stopping the party.
5:40 p.m
Also speaking, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, said the country has been further divided by the current government. He said the country is now worse off than it was when President Bola Tinubu took power almost three years ago.
According to Mr Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Nigeria moved up from the 8th position in the terrorism ranking and is now in the 4th place. He warned that if the administration is allowed to remain in power, the ranking may rise to the first position.
He quoted the World Bank’s poverty figures for Nigeria to be 41 per cent in 2023 and is now 63 per cent.
Mr Obi also noted that the previous administration, which borrowed to pay for subsidy, left about N87 trillion debt, but Mr Tinubu’s government, which did not pay subsidy, has taken borrowings to as high as N200 trillion.
5:55 p.m:
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the Tinubu government doesn’t care about Nigerians, adding that the situation is really bad.
Mr Amaechi said when he was governor of Rivers State, if an offense is committed, he would not rest until the perpetrators were captured.
“He (Mr Tinubu) said let the poor be allowed to breathe. “Is the poor breathing?” he asked.
“How can a man who says he is a democrat and stands on the side of NADECO now stop democracy,” he said.
6:10 p.m.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the ADC movement is a struggle for all Nigerians, particularly young people, whom he said the country has failed. He assured that the ADC will institute a government of responsibility
“You cannot get away with corruption in the government of ADC,” he said.
He also condemned the INEC Chairperson, vowing that the party wouldn’t allow him to get away with “illegality.”
6:14 p.m.
MC of the event, Dino Melaye, announced to the delegates that the National Auditor’s report has been received and adopted.
6:14 p.m.
The Chairman of the Legal and Convention processes committee, Olumide Apata, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), led the ratification of resolutions on key issues concerning the party at the 97, 98 and 99 NEC meetings.
Chinedu Idigo, the national organising secretary, listed the resolutions passed to include waiver of membership requirements, suspension of zoning requirements for filling of executive positions and the suspension of application of requirements that a vacant office be filled by an individual from the same zone as the previous occupier.
Enyinanya Abaribe moved that the convention ratify the resolutions passed at the NEC 97, 98 and 99 meetings held on 20 March 20205, 30 May 2025 and 29 July 2025, respectively.
Peter Uzokwe seconded the motion, which was adopted via a voice vote coordinated by Mr Apata.
Senator Ireti Kingibe moved for the motion to adopt the resolution of NWC from the 100th NEC meeting to hold elections for various organs of the party at polling units, wards and states, including the election of delegates to the convention.
Mrs Kingibe also moved the motion to rectify the NEC resolution to set up a committee of experts to propose policy principles and draft manifestos of the party for candidates to align their campaigns.
Both motions were seconded by Adetunji Ajagbe and adopted via a voice vote.
6.46 p.m.
Dauda Yaro, the senator representing Adamawa South, moved a motion for the expulsion of some members accused of anti-party activities and the creation of factions.
Those expelled included factional leader Nafiu Bala, another factional leader, Kinglsey Temitope, a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, John-Norman Obinna, Kennedy Odiong, Clement Ohigachi, and Stella Chukwuma.
Dauda Yaro, the senator representing Adamawa South, moved a motion for the expulsion of the members for alleged anti-party activities and the creation of factions.
The motion was seconded by Abdussamad Dasuki, representing Kebbi/Tambuwal federal constituency at the House of Representatives.
6:52 p.m.
Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto South senator, moved for the motion for the adoption of a voting procedure for the adoption of the party’s constitution amendment.
Lillian Orobo, a professor, seconded the motion.
6:58 p.m
ADC Electoral Committee, chaired by Emeka Ihedioha, is setting up ballot boxes for voting on the party’s constitutional amendment.
7.24 p.m.
Plateau Delegates protest after electoral committee chairman, Emeka Ihedioha, said delegates from the state will not vote over some issues.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that there was a parallel Congress that produced two factional executives last week.
The faction headed by Hanatu Gagara conducted its congress at Adewusi House, Murtala Mohammed Way, Jos, while the camp of Samuel Gyang, led by former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, used Kalwa House, the party’s state secretariat.
Emeka Ihedioha, the chair of the committee, said 1,542 delegates were accredited out of the 2,105 registered delegates.
9:00 p.m.
The Electoral Committee begins sorting of votes cast by over 1,000 delegates.
Emeka Ihedioha, the chair of the committee, said 1,542 delegates were accredited out of the 2,105 registered delegates.
9:49 p.m.
Mr Ihedioha announced the results of the votes cast by delegates.
He said 1,471 persons (94 per cent) voted Yes — in favour of the constitutional amendment – while 11 votes were void.
9:55 p.m.
National Chairman David Mark said he had, as a member of the PDP, attended all national conventions and none was up to 50 per cent as organised as Tuesday’s ADC convention.
He commended the convention committee and declared the convention closed.
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